In reality, he was the commanding officer and a double agent for the ICIS. He had faked his own kidnapping to create chaos in UNIT. He was involved in attempts to bring down the British government for reasons of ultra-nationalism, and was imprisoned for his actions. (AUDIO: The Wasting)

The character had originally appeared in Sympathy for the Devil, an alternate universe story from the Doctor Who Unbound series. That version of the character had been a loyal soldier, allowing the UNIT audio series to play off the fact the audience already knew him and wouldn't expect him to be an antagonist.

Both versions of Brimmicombe Wood are colonels, even though one is colonel in 1997 and the other in the 21st century.